Belgian brewers launch a campaign against stricter advertising rules

In a remarkable open letter, Belgian brewers are asking the government to scale back the planned tightening of alcohol advertising regulations. The industry is particularly annoyed by the mandatory slogan “Alcohol is harmful to your health.”

“Distinguishing between abuse and responsible consumption”

In March, the Belgian federal government reached an agreement on stricter rules for alcohol advertising, under which, among other things, influencers and media outlets with a young audience will no longer be allowed to advertise alcohol. Distributing alcoholic beverages for free—particularly with subscriptions or magazines—will also be banned, as will offering alcohol as part of a product bundle (such as a bottle of wine with a cheese platter). Furthermore, every alcohol advertisement must include the phrase “Alcohol is harmful to your health.”

This has rubbed the Belgian beer industry the wrong way, prompting it to publish an open letter and launch a petition on Wednesday. “While France defends its wine as cultural heritage and Italy proudly safeguards its Parma ham, Belgium has chosen to point a finger at its own tradition and national pride,” writes the association, which also notes that Belgian beer culture has been recognized by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage.

“Alcohol abuse must be addressed. But if the government no longer distinguishes between abuse and responsible enjoyment, we lose something fundamental,” the open letter continues. It was signed by more than a hundred Belgian brewers and thousands of industry professionals—and, notably, also by several politicians from the governing parties N-VA and MR.